Gunmen blow themselves up in Libya hotel attack, at least 8 killed

TRIPOLI, Jan. 27 -- A group of Islamic State (IS) affiliates attacked Libya's biggest hotel in Tripoli on Tuesday, killing at least eight and injuring several others before blowing themselves up, according to local security sources.

The attackers set off a booby-trap car bomb around 10:00 AM local time and then stormed into the Corinthia Hotel.

After nearly four-hour crossfire and standoff with the security forces, two of the gunmen blew themselves on the 21st floor of the hotel, according to security sources.

The official LANA agency said one of gunmen was taken alive by the police.

At least eight people, including five foreigners, died during the attack, according to the local al-Nabaa TV. Their nationalities were not immediately known.

The IS offshoot in Libya "Tripoli Province" claimed the attack on its official social media webpage, saying the reason for the explosion is that the hotel contained "non-Muslim diplomatic missions and security companies."

The militant group called the attack "Battle of Sheikh Abu Anas al-Libi," who was an alleged al-Qaeda operative and was captured by U.S. special forces in Libya, then died this month in an U.S. hospital.

Corinthia, one of the last operational hotels in Tripoli, once hosted many government branches, foreign embassies, and staff of media and foreign enterprises.

Libya's former Prime Minister Ali Zeidan was abducted by gunmen from the hotel in 2013 and later released.